Stay safe and stay well!
Save the Date!
Preservation Dallas Annual Meeting
to go virtual June 29
This year we are taking our Annual Meeting virtual! Members can stay home and still get a chance to "attend" the meeting to hear a summary of Preservation Dallas' work in the past year and plans for the new fiscal year. The general membership will also elect new board members at the meeting to the Preservation Dallas Board of Trustees. You must be a current member of Preservation Dallas to attend the Annual Meeting and you can register for it below. A link for the virtual meeting will be sent out just before the meeting.
Giving Tuesday Now sparked activity in more than 145 countries for a global day of unity and giving. Millions of people expressed their generosity in a time when many are facing challenges due to the pandemic. North Texas Giving Tuesday Now, a joint effort between Communities Foundation of Texas, the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, and the Dallas Cowboys, closed out 18 hours of philanthropy with nearly 45,000 donors giving more than $20.7 million to more than 2,500 North Texas nonprofits.

Preservation Dallas would like to thank everyone who contributed, especially at this difficult time, to help us with our work. We greatly appreciate the following for their support during Giving Tuesday: Norman and Jean Alston, Ann Bagley, Vanessa Baker, Chris Bowers, Colleen Brainerd, Marie and Pete Brookhart, Nick Brooks, Makalah and Trevor Brown, Victoria and Charles Clow, Nicky Emery, Meriwether and Will Evans, Alexis Fleisig, Elizabeth Gunby, Michael Hajduk, Christopher T. Haley, Joanna and John Hampton, Jason D. Harper, Morgan Harrison and Nathan Piller, Kathy Hewitt, Katherine Homan, Erika Huddleston, Carl Hunermund and Kara Murphy, Dr. George Keaton, Jr., Victor Kralisz, Yolanda Lawson, Stephen Lucy, Morgan Manser, Nancy McCoy, Alexis McKinney, Craig Melde, Peggy and Dave Millheiser, Charles Dee Mitchell, Juanita H. Nanez, Greg Nieberding, Fred and Ashley Pena, Alfonse Preisser, David Preziosi, Melissa Prycer, Marcel Quimby, Alicia Quintans, Ralph M. Randall, Leigh and Paul Richter, Carol Roark, Alicia Schroeder, Douglas and Jamie Slagel, Stephen Smith, Jim Stone, Michelle Walker, Joan Walne, and many anonymous donors.
Advanced Historic House Specialist seminar
is coming up and it's virtual!
Have you taken the Historic House Specialist class and you are ready for the Advanced class? Maybe you are just curious to expand your knowledge on architectural preservation? Well, it's a different format, but the same class! Since in-person events have not come back yet, the Advanced Historic House Specialist class will be virtual!

May 29th will be your next chance to take the Advanced Historic House Specialist class. The class is one-day and covers: materials and methods of Pre- and Post-WWII housing in Dallas, the economics involved in historic preservation, the certificate of appropriate process, historic landscapes, and how to do an advanced research of a historic building utilizing the Dallas Public Library's collection.

While realtors will receive continuing education credit through Metrotex, anyone can join the class to gain a further understanding of preservation. Realtors should register through Metrotex and everyone else can register through our website.
Nominations for 2020 Most Endangered List Due May 22
Do you know of a threatened or endangered historic place in Dallas? If so, nominate it for the 2020 list of the Most Endangered Historic Places. Click the button below to download a nomination form. Nominations will be accepted until Friday, May 22. The new list of Most Endangered Places in Dallas will be announced at the Preservation Dallas Annual Meeting in June.
Preservation Dallas Adds a New Staff Member
Danelle Baldwin Smith joined Preservation Dallas this month as the Director of Development, a new position created to assist the Board of Directors and other staff in finding new revenue sources for the organization and to enhance current membership, events, and program funding.

Danelle has many years of experience in community development, historic preservation, and property management/marketing. She led the revitalization of Lampasas, Texas through the Texas Main Street program and served as VP of Marketing and Chief of Staff for Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. As a volunteer, she served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for Preservation Texas, Inc. for nine years and was on the team that advocated for the Texas Courthouse Restoration Fund resulting in an initial $42.4M matching grant program through the Texas Historical Commission. She also coordinated the Texas Endangered Places program and statewide press conference event at the State Capital. Locally, she served as the Executive Director for the Texas Theatre Phase I Restoration. Most recently, Danelle co-managed the Parks at Arlington and then took over the management position of the Paragon Outlets Grand Prairie five weeks prior to grand opening.

Danelle says “I have a unique professional background and a proven ability to bring together diverse entities for a common goal. I look forward to working with the membership and team to enhance the financial goals and branding of Preservation Dallas.” We look forward to having Danelle as a valuable staff member and hope that she will be able to meet members soon!
DISD Bond Proposal Looks to Demolish 14 Schools
DISD has held three Tele-Town Hall meetings this month on the proposed 2020 Bond for the district. The total cost of the Bond is $3.7 billion, which they say will not increase school taxes; however, it will not decrease them either, which is a possibility if the bond does not pass.

In the proposed Bond there is $500 million for the demolition of 14 schools and building of new schools in their place. The schools to be replaced include:
  • John Q. Adam Elementary School
  • William Hawley Atwell Law Academy
  • Dallas Environmental Science Academy
  • Everette L. DeGolyer Elementary School
  • Geneva Heights Elementary School
  • Lenore Kirk Hall Elementary School
  • Victor H. Hexter Elementary School
  • Edwin J. Kiest Elementary School
  • Longfellow Career Exploratory Center
  • Herbert Marcus Elementary School
  • George Peabody Elementary School
  • Elisha M. Pease Elementary School
  • Martha Turner Reilly Elementary School
  • Urban Park Elementary School (pictured)

Scott Layne, DISD Deputy Superintendent of Operations and Chief Operating Officer, said that the schools above have a Facility Condition Index of 70% or more warranting their replacement. He also said that new schools are needed to be more in line with the 21 st century with more modern layouts, larger spaces, and better security.

Dr. Hinojosa, DISD Superintendent, said that $1.9 billion of the bond will go to “aesthetic and architectural improvements” for schools and that pretty much every school would receive a face lift, which is also concerning as many historic schools could be marred in that process. He also said that in June they will go to the DISD Board of Trustees to discuss the Bond and in July would go back to the Bond Committee with responses from the Board’s review of the Bond. The DISD Board will have to make a final determination on the bond language by August 13 to be on the ballot for the November election.

Preservation Dallas is working on a response to the Bond proposal. Click on the image below to view a PowerPoint with information on the 2020 Bond proposal and to view the DISD presentation or hear recordings of the virtual meetings go here
Legacies Dallas History Conference Call for Proposals
The organizers of the 22 nd Annual Legacies Dallas History Conference welcome proposals from both professional and lay historians on topics related to the theme: “Law and Disorder in Dallas Revisited.”

Throughout its history, Dallas has experienced periods when outlaws, criminals, and even protests for change presented special challenges to the forces of order, such as:
  • The 1870s, when the coming of the railroads turned Dallas into a boomtown which brought a huge increase in saloons, gambling, and related crimes associated with those vices.
  • The early 1900s saw concern over red-light districts, with prostitution and drugs.
  • The 1920s were the era of bootleg whiskey and the KKK, while the 1930s saw Bonnie and Clyde grab the headlines.
  • Organized crime, including gambling, flourished for a time in the 1940s.
  • In the post-World War II era, civil rights protests pushed for an end to racial segregation of African Americans, fair treatment for Mexican Americans, and equality for the LGBT community.

Papers presented at the conference may focus on topics related to crime, law enforcement, legal proceedings, protests and might examine an incident, an individual or a group.

All papers must be based on original research and must not have been presented or published elsewhere. The best papers will be published in a subsequent issue of Legacies: A History Journal for Dallas and North Central Texas. Those interested in presenting papers should submit a brief summary of their proposal by JULY 31, 2020, to “Dallas History Conference, 1515 S. Harwood St., Dallas, TX 75215,” or by email to LegaciesDHC@gmail.com. Those selected will be notified by August 31, 2020.
Corporate Partner Highlight
Kalita Humphreys Theater
at Turtle Creek Conservancy
The Kalita Humphreys Theater, designed by Frank Lloyd. Built in 1959, the building was the sculptural focus of a large park along Turtle Creek. Influenced by the creative genius of director Paul Baker, it opened to great acclaim. It was characterized by its inspiring spatial volume and perfect acoustics, and also its remarkably intimate relationship between actor and audience. 

The Kalita Humphreys Theater at Turtle Creek Conservancy (KTC) grew out of the movement to create a greater public awareness of the plight of this cultural treasure. Over the years, the theater has been altered inside and out and is no longer recognizable as an architectural masterpiece. It had been deteriorating for years and had become disconnected from its surroundings. The KTC has led the efforts to designate the Wright building and it original site as a City of Dallas historic district in 2005 and were involved in the publicly funded master planning process in 2010. 

The KTC’s mission is to elevate the property to a higher level of value and activity by advocating for its restoration and continued use as a unique theater with modern functionality, in an enhanced park that is connected by trail and park linkages to our city. For over twenty years, the KTC has provided public programs that have highlighted the many significant facets of this site to the community. Now, they are working to create public awareness of the value of the Kalita and its park and to build a community of advocates for its future.

The KTC is also the repository for original documents relating to the Master Plan, and they have an extensive archive that can be used to maintain the collective memory of past building interventions.

Last year, they had several major victories, including Dallas City Council’s mandate to restore the exterior of the theater. Historically, burdens on the site, excessive alterations to the theater interior, and lack of a strategic plan to coordinate multiple owners and tenants have been detrimental to the landmark property. But now, the publicly funded 2010 Master Plan is to be updated with a new planning study, this time undertaken with private funding by the tenant. We remain hopeful about the future of the landmark and plan to build on the positive steps forward. But we will also continue to be vigilant and proactive, voicing our concerns related to the theater restoration and potential over-development of the site. This new planning effort will decide the fate of the property for decades to come and will come up for a Council vote at the end of 2020. It is so important that the wider public contributes ideas to this process.

Please visit their website for more information, to view a video of the 2010 Master Plan, and to subscribe to news updates.
PRESERVATION ISSUES
DART D2 Line – DART has made available the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) for the Dallas CBD Second Light Rail Alignment (D2 Subway). The SDEIS includes several appendices, including the Historic-Age Resource Reconnaissance Survey Report which is part of the appendix. The public comment period for the SDEIS runs until June 29, 2020. Click here to access the SDEIS. 

McBride House – The McBride House in West Dallas was supposed to be discussed at the May Landmark Commission meeting for the initiation of the Landmark designation process. It was postponed until June. The house is associated with Bonnie and Clyde and is where Clyde Barrow shot a Deputy Sheriff. 

Downtown Historic Resources Survey On May 27th, the City Council will be voting on approving a contract with HHM & Associates, Inc. to complete a historic survey of downtown Dallas. The City of Dallas is providing $100,000 for the survey from the Building Inspection Fund and Preservation Dallas is giving the city $95,000, which was raised through multiple grant sources. The survey is badly needed as the last one was completed in 2003. It was also recommended by the Downtown Dallas Historic Preservation Task Force in 2015 as part of their final report in response to the surprise downtown demolitions the year before. To support the survey, pl ease email your Council Member by clicking here and ask them to support the historic survey of downtown Dallas by voting for item 28 on the Council agenda. If you would like to view the full Council agenda click here
Director's Letter
David Preziosi
First off, I want to thank everyone again who gave to Preservation Dallas during Giving Tuesday! It was truly amazing to see the wonderful support we received during the day, which greatly surpassed our expectations. I also have to thank the Communities Foundation of Texas, the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, and the Dallas Cowboys for helping to provide the giving platform for the day making it easy for folks to give to not only us, but to over 2,500 nonprofits around North Texas. Everyone’s support was greatly appreciated!

I am excited to have Danelle joining the Preservation Dallas team to help with development as that will be crucial for us in the next year as we navigate the economic and health uncertainties we are continuing to face. We had actually completed interviews for the new position early in the year and offered it to Danelle the beginning of March with her to start in April. Due to COVID-19, we delayed her start until this month. Danelle has some great preservation, development and management experience. She has been a long-time member of Preservation Dallas and has served on the Events Committee. She is now working on getting up to speed with the ins and outs of the organization and looking at ways to increase our development potential. With her position focusing directly on development and finding new resources for the organization, we have decided to continue to outsource event management to a contract person like we did with the Awards and Fall Tour last year. The Events Committee, which was set up last year after Donovan left, will also be involved with the planning and execution of our large events.

And now for some unfortunate news. Like all nonprofits, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has struggled with the impacts of COVID-19. Sadly, they have had to reduce staff to cut expenses, including Meg Lousteau who was the Associate Field Director of the National Trust’s Houston Field Office. Arriving in 2019, she had not been there long when she immediately jumped in to help out us and Preservation Texas with battling proposed state legislation bad for historic preservation. She had also been a big help to me and we had many conversations about issues in Dallas with her offering insight and help from the National Trust when she could. Meg had also been working with the Tenth Street Residents Organization since Tenth Street was chosen by the National Trust as one of their 11 Most Endangered Places last year. Most recently we worked together with the Tenth Street Residents Organization on preparing a grant application to hire staff to help the neighborhood through the National Trust’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. I will miss working with Meg and appreciate all of the help that she gave to Dallas and Texas in her short tenure with the National Trust.  

As National Preservation Month is coming to a close, we haven’t been able to do a lot of celebrating this year with not being able to meet or visit sites. And of course we have had to postpone the Preservation Achievement Awards scheduled for this month and the great celebration of outstanding preservation projects and people in Dallas. As restrictions ease on gathering again we hope to get back to InTown Outings and programs as quickly as possible. There are so many wonderful historic places to explore in person and we hope to be showing them off soon! 
EVENTS
All in-person events have been postponed until restrictions on meeting in groups is lifted.
Support Preservation Dallas While Shopping!
Did you know that when you shop at AmazonSmile, they donate to Preservation Dallas? Click on the logo above to get started!
Preservation Dallas participates in the Tom Thumb Good Neighbor program. Link our Good Neighbor number to your Tom Thumb loyalty card and a percentage of your purchases will be credited towards us! Our number is 11352. Enroll your card here!
Preservation Dallas participates in the Kroger Community Rewards program. Enroll your Kroger Plus card with Preservation Dallas as the benefactor. Our number is TX617. Enroll your card here!
A special discount for
Preservation Dallas members
It goes without saying that this is an unprecedented time and we know that many have been hit with financial hardships as a result of the mandated quarantine. Our members are important to us. That is why we are extending the memberships of those who expired in March and April as well as those that are expected to expire in May for another two more months. In addition, we are offering a 20% discount to everyone to either extend their existing membership early or to join as a new member. This offer is valid from now until June 15th. Renewals will start after the current membership expires. Simply use the code  spring2020  when prompted on the website.
Please Welcome our New Members!
Contributor
Paula S. Thompson

Sustainer
Keith Todd

Community Partner
Bowlski's
Thank you to the following members for renewing!
Gary C. Coffman
Kathleen Gerken
John F. Giesler
Denny Hunt
Egelberto and Patricia Preziosi
Will Stovall
Donna Wallace
This newsletter is sent to all current and past members, and those interested in preservation in Dallas. To become a member or to renew or upgrade your membership, please click below.
CORPORATE PARTNERS
Joe M. and Doris R. Dealey Family Foundation
Preservation Dallas | 2922 Swiss Avenue | Dallas TX 752518